


Balisong

by noriakki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Driving, Flashbacks, Fluff, Inspired by Music, Love Confessions, M/M, Music, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noriakki/pseuds/noriakki
Summary: [Inspired byBalisong by Rivermaya]While Kei and Tadashi take a long drive home, they reminisce when Tsukki let Yamaguchi listen to his playlist for the first time.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio & Tsukishima Kei & Yachi Hitoka & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Yachi Hitoka & Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 106





	Balisong

> _Your face lights up the sky on the highway_
> 
> _Someday, you’ll share your world with me, someday_

Kei and Tadashi were taking a long drive home. 

It’d only been two hours out of what might be eight. It was Tadashi’s turn to drive and it was about 11:50 PM. To say they were exhausted was sort of an understatement. Tadashi was struggling to fight the weight of his eyelids. He wishes he were in Kei’s place, sleeping comfortably in the passenger seat. He was also a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep later because he had trouble sleeping in cars, but since he was so tired, he didn’t worry too much about it.

His hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel, and he was focused on the road and the music playing on the speakers. It was playing Kei’s playlist: the stuff he’d spent almost his entire high school life off of the court listening to— the mix he’d been listening to for as long as Tadashi’s known him.

* * *

Whenever Tsukki was asked what he was always listening to on his headphones, he’d pretend he couldn’t hear them. It wasn’t that his playlist was a secret he wished to take with him to his grave, but he didn’t really want other people to bother him about it. Also, he thought it was irritating that they tried to talk to someone wearing headphones. If they insisted, he’d tell, but they never did, which was better for him.

Yamaguchi never asked him what he was listening to. This doesn’t mean that he wasn’t curious about it. It wasn’t a burning curiosity; he wasn’t itching to know what his best friend was always listening to. But whenever he didn’t have much to think about, he’d imagine what kind of music Tsukki liked. Maybe he was listening to the score of Jurassic Park? He always loved that movie, and he seemed like the type to appreciate orchestral music. Or he could be listening to intense workout music. He wouldn’t put it past Tsukki to listen to music which had such a stark contrast to his personality. Maybe he was listening to the mainstream stuff that played on the radio? Maybe he wasn’t listening to music at all; maybe he’s subscribed to some podcast, or he bought some audiobooks. It was fun to think about.

Yamaguchi never asked, though. 

It was a pleasant surprise when in their second year, before boarding the bus to their annual summer training camp at Tokyo, Tsukki didn’t have his Sony headphones around his neck like usual.

Hinata and Kageyama were at the entrance to the bus, stopping each other from getting in before getting promptly scolded by Ennoshita. This made Yamaguchi chuckle a little, and from the corner of his eye he saw the tiniest hint of a smirk on Tsukki. It was rare for him to be amused at their bickering, so Yamaguchi smiled wider when he realized that Tsukki swallowed his pride for just a second to laugh at the two idiots. Tsukki looked away, Yamaguchi not realizing that the blond’s ghost of a smile wasn’t because of Hinata and Kageyama’s bickering.

They boarded the bus and took their seats. Hinata and Kageyama were sitting behind them and their snoring made it difficult for the slightly sleep-deprived Yamaguchi to sleep. Worse, they were sitting in a bus. It was different from a car (buses are more comfortable) but he found it a little difficult to sleep sitting upright nonetheless. “Do you want to listen to music?” Tsukki asked, lending him one of his earbuds. For the first time in the four years he’s known Tsukki, he wasn’t wearing headphones to listen to his music. For the first time in the four years he’s been friends with Tsukki, he was asked if he wanted to listen to some music. And not just any music— the music that _he_ listened to.

Yamaguchi was shocked. Of all the people that’s asked Tsukki in passing what he was listening to for the past 4 years that he’s known him, he’d be the first to actually know… and he didn’t have to ask.

“Sure!”

As he listened, he thought back to some of the guesses he’s made in the past. Some of them were way off (of course Tsukki wouldn’t be listening to intense workout music…) while some of them were spot on. There were some that he didn’t expect at all. There was a slow song that he’d never heard of before.

“Hey, Tsukki, what’s this song called?”

Tsukki was already fast asleep when he asked. He falls asleep pretty easily in spite of Kageyama and Hinata’s awful snoring as long as he has music. Jesus could have his second coming and Tsukki probably wouldn’t notice if he was wearing his eye mask and headphones. Tadashi took a peek at the phone in his pocket to know the title— “Balisong by Rivermaya”

The song didn’t get to finish before Yamaguchi’s eyelids fell and he, too, was sound asleep.

* * *

> _You mesmerize me with diamond eyes_
> 
> _I try to fool myself to think I’ll be alright_

For the seven years he’s listened to the contents of Kei’s playlist every other day, there have been songs that came and went. Kei was always adding and removing songs from the playlist; his playlist last week is not the same playlist as it is this week, and next week, this will probably be the case too. There are some songs that have been there for years and suddenly disappear. There are some songs that only last a week, maybe less on the playlist. Some songs are removed, only to be added back a few weeks later. Some songs take years to come back. There have been few songs in that playlist that haven’t been touched at all, and Balisong by Rivermaya was one of them.

Tadashi took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Kei. As usual, he was asleep. The sleep mask comfortably rested on his face like it always did. His glasses were probably in its case in their glove compartment. His phone was connected to the car’s charging port, his hand having a loose grip on it. His hair was slightly disheveled, but you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t taking a good look like Tadashi was. Maybe he should focus on the road, but they were on a wide highway and there were hardly any other cars… he could pull off admiring Kei for a few more minutes, maybe. Alas, he knew that this was unwise and settled for simply placing his hand on Kei’s thigh, just a little above where his hand had a loose grip on his phone. Tadashi felt the faintest blush creep on his cheeks when he heard the phone thump on the car’s floor as Kei put his hand above Tadashi’s in his sleep. Tadashi looked at him again and he was still sound asleep, leaning comfortably against his neck pillow. The only thing that changed in his appearance was that his phone was on the floor and his hand was on top of Tadashi’s.

Tadashi didn’t feel tired anymore.

* * *

> _But I am losing all control_
> 
> _My mind, my heart, my body, and my soul_

Yamaguchi felt like his heart was at the pit of his stomach. He and Tsukki usually ate lunch together, but his nerves got the better of him that day. Without Volleyball to help him focus his thoughts elsewhere, he would have to confront his feelings for Tsukki head-on. If he slips up, he might just confess. It was the first lunch they’d have at school again after the Spring Interhigh in their third year, and somehow he felt like his nervousness was even worse than before the game in the semi-finals. Because of said nerves, he went to the person he knew that knew best how to handle nerves. As usual, she was eating with Hinata and Kageyama to help them prepare for the last final exams they’d have.

“Yamaguchi? Aren’t you eating with Tsukishima?” Kageyama asked.

“I- I need to talk to Hitoka-chan…” Yamaguchi said, the tone of his voice somewhat reminiscent of his voice before their Spring qualifiers match with Seijoh in their first year, making it evident that he was nervous. This was really the same guy that gave them that powerful speech just a few days ago? Hinata’s eyes widened, at first because of shock, then because of excitement. Yachi looked at Kageyama and Hinata as if to ask them if it was okay to leave for a bit.

“But, Yamaguchi, you know better than anyone that our grades aren’t exactly—“

“Ah! Our grades can wait!! Go ahead, go ahead!!” Hinata cut Kageyama off, obviously excited, lightly pushing Yachi towards Yamaguchi. He pulled Kageyama aside to explain what he thought the situation was, and Kageyama’s eyes widened like Hinata’s did just earlier.

“R-right, you can go ahead, Yachi…!”

Yamaguchi and Yachi walked away from the group. Yachi laughed. “I bet they think you’re gonna confess to me,” she said. Yamaguchi’s eyes widened in embarrassment. “Oh my god, is that what it looked like?!” Yamaguchi said, which Yachi laughed even harder. Wiping her tears from laughing, Yachi stood up straight.

“Hitoka-chan… I think I might confess to Tsukki today,” he said, finally gathering composure.

* * *

> _Never in my life have I been more sure_
> 
> _So come on up to me and close the door_

Four hours into their drive and it was Kei’s turn to drive. Tadashi sat tight in the passenger seat, drool leaking down from the edge of his mouth as it always did. Kei let him borrow his neck pillow and eye mask. When Tadashi was falling asleep, he took Kei’s huge stuffed dinosaur, Jira, from their stuff in the trunk to sleep with. When he was trying to fall asleep, he hugged it and buried his face in Jira’s head, but now his head was leaning against the window like Kei’s was just earlier, Jira barely being held back from falling to the car’s floor by Tadashi’s grip.

Kei was focused on the road like any reasonable driver would be. The road was illuminated by streetlights and the headlights of the few other cars that were there at that hour. All he had was the music in his playlist which he lightly hummed along to and Tadashi’s quiet snoring.

He took a moment to look at Tadashi. Wearing his eye mask and neck pillow, barely holding his stuffed dinosaur Jira (who had a noticeable amount of drool on her head) from falling on the car’s floor, leaning comfortably against the window of his car. Kei couldn’t imagine anyone but Tadashi in that position.

He would never let anyone borrow his precious eye mask and neck pillow. What if they had some sort of eye disease they didn’t know about yet? Who knows just how sweaty their neck was? What if they stretch out the garter and make it loose on Kei? What if they had head lice? Kei had all of these (very valid) reasons in mind, but he knew that the main reason he wouldn’t let anyone borrow his stuff is because he just didn’t want to. Simple as that. He wasn’t all that pleased at the idea of other people, much less the idea of them being in possession of the things that give him a little more convenience in his day-to-day life. Kei also almost exclusively wore headphones before for these same reasons. He didn’t want anyone grabbing one of the earbuds out of nowhere and taking a listen to whatever he was listening to. What if he was listening to Queen? The experience would be utterly ruined.

Despite all this, Kei simply didn’t mind when Tadashi was the one with all his stuff. If it was Hinata who drooled on Jira, he would’ve taken him by the collar and thrown him through the sunroof of his car. But it was Tadashi, and it was endearing. Kei wanted to run his fingers through Tadashi’s soft hair that draped over his eye mask and neck pillow. Similar thoughts ran through Tsukki’s mind the evening before they boarded the bus to the Summer training camp in Tokyo when he asked Akiteru if he could borrow his earphones.

* * *

> _Nobody’s made me feel this way before_
> 
> _You’re everything I wanted and more_

“Eh? But don’t you have headphones? I wanna listen to some tunes on the bus to school, you know.”

“You can borrow them. Hinata and Kageyama snore loudly, Yamaguchi might have trouble sleeping,” Tsukki said, not thinking much of it.

Tsukki didn’t see it, but Akiteru’s eyes widened when he mentioned Yamaguchi. A soft smile appeared on Akiteru’s face when he told Kei, “Sure.”

Kei was finally gonna go out of his way to share his playlist with someone. He wasn’t even thinking about himself when he remembered the Queen songs in his playlist. Where he would usually think something like _“my Queen-listening experience will be incomplete without both earbuds,”_ instead, he thought, _“I hope Yamaguchi doesn’t mind that he’s only getting half of the experience when he’ll listen to the Queen in my playlist,”_ and he didn’t even realize it.

When Yamaguchi said, “sure!” Tsukki felt warmth in his heart. A warmth that Tsukki wanted to feel again and again and again for as long as possible. Every opportunity he had, he asked, “do you want to listen to music?” Yamaguchi always, always, always said “sure!” with the exclamation point making Tsukki always, always, always feel his heart get warm.

Akiteru and Tsukki never returned their headsets to each other because every other day, Tsukki and Yamaguchi would be listening to his— no, _their_ playlist.

Tsukki, somewhere in their second year, started to look more closely at the little things Yamaguchi did from time to time. The way he hummed along to the songs he became familiar with in Tsukki’s playlist, the way his lips slightly curved up when songs that he liked a little more than the others came on, when he noticed how subtly neat Yamaguchi’s penmanship was, the time they were changing in their club room and Tsukki had forgotten his glasses in the bathroom, and when he came back to get them, he caught Yamaguchi wearing them doing an impression of him. He didn’t really understand why he was looking so closely, or why these moments were suddenly becoming more and more vivid memories in his mind, or why it sort of felt like his heart skipped a beat when he remembered these.

* * *

“Yamaguchi, do you want to listen to some music?”

They placed third at the spring interhigh and were back at school. So far, their routine has been pretty much the same except that they didn’t go to morning practice. They went to school together and talked about whatever. They had class. Now, they’re having lunch. They would usually spend this time eating and studying together while listening to their playlist, but when Tsukki asked as he always did, Yamaguchi suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be eating with Yachi and helping her help the two idiots. This wouldn’t have come across as suspicious if it weren’t for the fact that he was saying it so frantically.

No way… was he finally going to confess to Yachi?

Tsukki wasn’t sure if Yamaguchi even liked her, and he will take it with him to his grave that he ever tried to read their interactions closely ever since he began to notice that Yamaguchi’s smile seemed brighter than it ever did. Tsukki secretly wished that Hinata was better at helping Yachi with her nerves (not Kageyama; he was just as hopeless as Tsukki when it came to that) because seeing him with Yachi all the time put him at unease. What was Tsukki even thinking? Why’d he even feel that way? Yachi’s just a friend, not that the possibility of her being more than that should even bother Tsukki. And if Yamaguchi did like her, he’d probably tell Tsukki about it, right?

“Do you… want to tag along?” Yamaguchi said hesitantly, avoiding eye contact.

Well, Tsukki didn’t want to interrupt him. Yamaguchi was probably only asking him out of politeness, which he did appreciate, but Tsukki thought that he should do his best friend a favor and leave him alone with the girl he likes. You know, to make it easier for him. He didn’t want to put pressure on his friend by putting a pair of eyes to watch over him as he pours his feelings out to the person he likes.

“I’ll pass.”

Both of the earbuds were in his ears. The feeling was foreign to him. He realized how long it’s been since Yamaguchi wasn’t listening to their playlist with him, and it felt lonely, but he wouldn’t admit that to anyone, not even himself. The only upside was that his Queen-listening experience was complete again for the first time in a while, but screw that, he could always listen to Queen at home. He couldn’t focus on his food, so he tried to study. He couldn’t focus on the words in his notebook either.

> _To speak or not to, where to begin_
> 
> _The great dilemmas I’m finding myself in_
> 
> _For all I know you only see me as a friend_
> 
> _I try to tell myself, “wake up, fool,” this fairy tale’s got to end_

Tsukki held his head in his hands. He was so close to taking that song out of his playlist. Yamaguchi came back to their classroom, smiling his smile that could probably kill Tsukki if he wasn’t too careful. Tsukki felt his heart drop when he realized that Yamaguchi’s confession probably went well. He hated himself for letting Yamaguchi’s smile make him feel something other than pure, unadulterated joy. He hated himself for letting his mood worsen at the thought of Yamaguchi liking someone else. He hated himself for finally admitting to himself that he was in love with Tadashi at the very worst moment that he possibly could.

“Tsukki!”

“Oh?”

“I’m back!! Looks like you haven’t touched your food yet!”  
“Does it?” Tsukki said, hoping to hear something he held dear to him, something he perceived as simply immaculate, something he cherished.

  
And Yamaguchi laughed. Exactly that.

“And, Tsukki, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Tsukki didn’t want to hear it. He wanted just a few moments living with the delusion that he could ever be with Yamaguchi. It was selfish, but he didn’t want to let go of the possibility of being more than just Yamaguchi’s friend. Not now that he’s finally accepted his feeli—

“I like you.”

Oh. He was being stupid, is what he was being.

“I like you, too.”

And Yamaguchi rested his head on the back of Tsukki's shoulder while Tsukki gave a death glare to the two idiots gaping at the door to their classroom and the teary-eyed blonde giving him a thumbs up. “Good grief.”

* * *

> _Never in my life have I been more sure_
> 
> _So come on up to me and close the door_

Kei and Tadashi made a stop on their way home to eat breakfast. The sun was rising when they stepped out of the car and stretched. Kei adjusted his glasses and went over to Tadashi, lending the shorter man his arm to lock his arm into. They walked to the entrance with locked arms, a just-woken-up Tadashi resting his head on Kei’s shoulder.

They placed their orders, got their food, and sat down at their table.

“You got drool on Jira again,” Kei said as he opened the syrup and butter packet and spread it on his pancake. 

“I did? Sorry, Kei.”

“No, it’s fine,” Kei stopped spreading the syrup and butter for a moment to look up to Tadashi and lock eyes with him as he tells him, “You’re cuter than her, anyway.”

Tadashi smiled. “Where’d _that_ come from?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nowhere,” Kei said with a small smile on his face before taking a bite out of his pancake.

Tadashi looked at Kei with fondness as he put his hand on top of Kei’s. “You must be tired from driving. Let me help you with that,” he said as he turned it over to massage his palm.

“Where’s _this_ coming from?” Kei asked, raising an eyebrow too.

“Nowhere,” Tadashi said, mimicking Kei’s earlier actions.

“Pfft, eat your food.”

“But I love you.”  
“I love you too,” the blond said, followed by a kiss on Tadashi’s hand before pulling his own away and continuing, “which is why you should eat. We need the strength to carry all the boxes and move in together properly.”

Tadashi sighed in contentment, getting a hold of his utensils. “Fine.”

> _Nobody’s made me feel this way before_
> 
> _You’re everything I wanted and more_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for spending your time reading this. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Balisong by Rivermaya is one of my favorite songs. It makes me feel a certain way and that feeling matched up well with how I feel about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, so I decided to write this!


End file.
